Detlef Schrempf finished with 17 points for Seattle, which led
by as many as 14 before Detroit closed within one in the final
three minutes.

The Sonics defeated the Pistons at home for the fourth straight
time and have won eight of the last nine meetings in Seattle.

"I told our guys we might as well genuflect to this team,"
Detroit coach Doug Collins said. "At least make them earn it.
I'm not taking anything away from Seattle, but you've got to
compete against these guys. They were laughing at us."

Detroit's Grant Hill scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds,
but had another sub-par shooting effort, going 6-for-17 from the
field. He is shooting just 37 percent from the floor this
season. Lindsey Hunter netted 16 points for the Pistons, who
completed a 1-3 West Coast trip.

"We controlled him for as much as you can control a great
player," Seattle coach George Karl said. "We did the two things
we wanted to do, which was give (Brian) Williams a lot of
problems and give Hill a lot of looks. I think everybody on our
team covered Hill for a period of time."

Seattle built a 78-68 lead when Hersey Hawkins capped a 7-0
burst with a three-pointer with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Five straight points by Hill brought Detroit within five, but
the Sonics ran off seven straight to open an 85-73 advantage
when Dale Ellis buried a three-pointer with 6:00 to play.

The Pistons held the Sonics without a field goal for the
remainder of the game and closed within 90-85 on two free throws
by Hill with 2:43 to go. Hunter followed with a free throw and
a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 90-89 with 2:05 left. But
Payton and Schrempf each made a pair of free throws and Jerome
Kersey added one to complete the scoring.

"It wasn't pretty," Schrempf said. "We had a nice comfortable
lead and then we stopped moving the ball around and made it hard
on ourselves. We made some good plays down the stretch and got
some key offensive rebounds at the enb. That gave us a chance
to win it."

Baker had eight points in the first quarter and Payton added
seven, helping the Sonics race to a 25-13 lead. But Hunter had
seven points in the second period and Malik Sealy and Aaron
McKie added six each as the Pistons closed within 44-42 at
halftime.

Hawkins netted nine points and Ellis seven for the Sonics, who
shot 44 percent (31-of-71) from the field.

Sealy finished with 14 points and Williams and Theo Ratliff
added 12 for the Pistons, who shot 43 percent (33-of-77). McKie
chipped in with 11 points.